There are still five minutes until the hero escapes from marriage.

The past is too painful to look back on.

Everything was a mess.

At that time, the system had no idea. It thought that after completing the deal with Gu Xianting, the world would settle down.

It turned out to be a grave mistake!

The world collapsed once more, and in order to save itself, the system almost exhausted all its energy, reverting everything to the wedding of Wen Zhao and Gu Xianting.

As for what happened next…

It’s better not to mention it!

“Don’t you understand yet?” The butler’s voice was languid as he stood by the window, looking at the dark night sky. “The current issue is no longer whether I will break the agreement and destroy our deal.”

The system was silent; it knew this better than anyone.

Wen Zhao had been genuinely harmed in the plot. She had experienced it firsthand and knew the plot. Her relationship with the male and female leads was essentially a dead-end!

Unknowingly, her lover had been replaced. To her, it seemed her partner had betrayed her, leaving her with nothing, her family destroyed. This was blood feud!

That’s why, after the rollback, the system became the malicious female character’s redemption system, binding itself to Wen Zhao. Only by letting go of her hatred could she stop interfering with the male and female leads, allowing the world to complete the plot of the novel “The Secret Lover of Gu Shao.”

But the system never expected that she would show no respect for her second chance at life. She had just started the binding and immediately threatened to break it using the male lead’s life.

Because the system no longer had extra energy for another rollback.

Later, it tried to make the female lead save the male lead but failed. It’s better not to mention it!

Everything was in chaos. Worse, Wen Zhao found out that her lover’s identity had been taken!

The accumulated hatred from past and present lives was impossible to resolve.

In fact, the system understood better than anyone that Wen Zhao’s hatred and animosity toward Gu Xianting were more about resentment and anger at being manipulated by higher-ups rather than the plot itself!

Outside the hotel door, Wen Zhao got out of the car. Gu Xianting was pushed in a wheelchair by the bodyguard and handed over to her.She pushed Gu Xianting inside the hotel.

As the current head of the Wen and Gu families, Wen Zhao’s appearance drew attention from all sides. As she pushed Gu Xianting into the hotel lobby, Xu Nian was the first to approach her.

“Ms. Wen, thank you for your support,” he said, his demeanor refined. His gaze fell on Gu Xianting, and seeing his still-unrecovered legs, the smile in his eyes faded a little. “Mr. Gu, it looks like you’re not doing too well.”

Gu Xianting nearly lost his composure but, not wanting to lose face in front of others, maintained his smile. “It’s just a minor accident.”

“Is that so?” Xu Nian stared at him with a half-smile.

Gu Xianting felt quite irritated. What was Xu Nian trying to do in such a situation?

“Mr. Xu, did I offend you in some way before?” he had always wondered about this. Over a month ago, he had helped Wen Zhao book a hotel room to conceal her whereabouts. Later, he also played a role in the online exposure incident.

But he couldn’t recall when he had any conflict with this person.

“Mr. Gu, we’re just small figures. Why would you remember us?” Xu Nian said sarcastically before leaving without further delay.

The banquet today was organized by him. With his new energy company booming, he planned to establish a foundation. The invitations were sent out, and all major families and businesses in Li City responded.

Wen Zhao pushed the barely smiling Gu Xianting into the atrium. The hotel was fully booked by Xu’s company for the foundation’s gala. Xu Nian had put a lot of effort into the event, ensuring that every detail was perfect.

“ZhaoZhao, did that person… do something?” Gu Xianting asked.

Wen Zhao pushed the wheelchair to the edge of the fish pond in the atrium. The pond was stocked with lotuses and koi fish swimming around. “You were also trapped in this body for five years, a bystander for five years. You should know what he did.”

Gu Xianting’s body stiffened for a moment. “I wasn’t always awake.”

“Five years ago, when you met Su Mengyao, she was a high school senior,” Wen Zhao said. “She was disliked by girls but liked by boys.”

Gu Xianting was taken aback. “Aren’t we talking about Xu Nian?”

“At that time, there was a girl in their school. She had a boy she liked, but they hadn’t confessed their feelings yet. They had promised to go to Wuhan University together. The boy was very gentle and not good at rejecting people. One time, he saw someone bullying Su Mengyao and, unable to bear it, helped her.”

“Unexpectedly, Su Mengyao seemed to cling to this boy like a lifeline, always seeking his help. Gradually, everyone said the boy and Su Mengyao were secretly dating. The girl was very angry. She confronted the boy, and he explained the situation. The girl felt sorry for Su Mengyao but also disliked her.”

“She told her to seek help from a teacher next time because the boy was just a student.”

“Su Mengyao felt deeply wronged. Not long after, she met you. After meeting you, she was always unhappy. You discovered she was bullied at school, so you found someone to teach those bullies a lesson.”

“Unfortunately, the girl was also among them. She was very unfortunate; during her resistance, she fell down the stairs and died despite rescue efforts.”

Wen Zhao bent down and stared into Gu Xianting’s eyes.

At this moment, he was utterly stunned.

He broke into a cold sweat. He remembered that Su Mengyao had been bullied at school. Of course, he couldn’t tolerate that and had someone deal with those who bullied her. He had done it very discreetly, and those involved thought they were being retaliated against by an enemy.

He vaguely recalled that someone had accidentally died, but he had paid the money, and the matter was quickly settled.

Wen Zhao sometimes really wondered what was going on in this person’s mind.

Was it because, in the eyes of those in power, people in their small world were merely puppets to be manipulated, with life and death being irrelevant? That’s why they could so disdainfully disregard laws and human life, as if everyone should pay for their mistakes in love.

Wen Zhao wasn’t someone who acted lawlessly. Before she knew the truth about this world, she still had some last lines of restraint. But these people pushed her to madness!

In her past life, everything was taken from her, while the criminals prospered. She suddenly felt why she should adhere to so-called principles. In such a world, why bother with principles?

After being reborn, she no longer viewed Gu Xianting and Su Mengyao as human beings. So she could coerce, threaten, and break his legs and force Su Mengyao to lose her dignity.

“The girl came from a single-parent family, with only a university professor father. Despite knowing his daughter’s tragic death, he could never uncover the truth, as he was just a teacher at that time.”

“The boy, unable to bear the death of the girl because of him, was consumed by guilt. He felt that if he hadn’t gotten involved and helped Su Mengyao, the girl would still be alive. He had done a good deed but ended up causing the death of the girl he liked.”

“He made many plans, but they could never be realized. Eventually, he developed depression, could no longer continue his studies, and was taken by his parents to a small city in the south. Perhaps this trauma would never heal for him.”

“But the real culprit behind it all continued to be invisible and lived freely.

“Oh, this girl’s name is Xu Caiwei. Isn’t it beautiful?”

At the same time, Xu Nian stood at the center of the banquet hall with a microphone in hand, his face adorned with a gentle smile. Behind him, a giant screen displayed the words “Caiwei Foundation.”

“Welcome everyone here to witness the establishment of the Caiwei Foundation with me. This foundation was set up for my daughter.” Xu Nian’s gaze cut through the crowd and landed coldly on Gu Xianting. “The purpose of the foundation is to oppose all forms of campus bullying. My daughter left this world at the prime of her life because of two shameless scoundrels. I hope such things never happen again. What do you think, Mr. Gu?”

Gu Xianting felt as though a thunderbolt had struck his confused brain. He looked up, meeting Xu Nian’s cold, knife-like gaze.

“Mr. Gu, do you think that using power and wealth to bully an innocent high school girl is deserving of being called a scoundrel?” Xu Nian asked, his eyes fixed on him.

Gu Xianting’s forehead broke out in sweat. He repeatedly told himself that he was Gu Xianting, and this wasn’t his fault. He was innocent.

“Yes, indeed, it is scoundrel behavior,” he heard himself say.

A trace of mockery flashed in Xu Nian’s eyes. He turned around, and the screen behind him projected his daughter’s most radiant smile. His eyes reddened, struggling to hold back tears.

Five years ago, after his daughter died in the hospital, he couldn’t accept the doctor’s explanation. He discovered that the injuries on his daughter were not consistent with a fall from the stairs. He wanted to find out the truth, so he reported it to the police, reviewed the surveillance footage, and did everything he could, begging many people, but it was useless; he found nothing.

Later, Wen Zhao approached him and provided an investment to complete the experiments he had been unable to finish. He succeeded and became a rising star in Li City. His new energy company was the new trend, and he was no longer the powerless university professor he once was. This time, he was determined to uncover the truth.

And then—

Wen Zhao gave him the truth.

Five years ago, it was Gu Xianting and Su Mengyao who were responsible for his daughter’s death. When Wen Zhao found Xu Nian, she was in the underground parking lot with a bound Gu Xianting in the car. She calmly explained her plan, revealed the truth from five years ago, and proposed that they seek revenge together.

Xu Nian had suspected that Wen Zhao might soften because of her love for Gu Xianting, but after seeing her gaze towards him, he decided to trust her.

He could have reported it to the police to seek justice for his daughter, but then what? After a few years in prison, Gu Xianting would still be the Gu family’s prized son. His status might not even require prison time, given the sometimes hopeless laws in this world.

So, he chose to cooperate with Wen Zhao. It now seemed his choice was correct.

A fatal blow is not scary; what’s terrifying is the slow, relentless torment that drives someone mad and ultimately pushes them into the abyss. This is what Gu Xianting, the scoundrel, deserves!

He looked at him with a kind smile.

But Gu Xianting found that smile even more terrifying than Xu Nian’s previous cold gaze.

Afterwards, he had no idea how he got through the rest of the banquet. To him, everyone seemed like paper figures, their fates written and revised by his own hand. They were merely sacrifices to him. After all, others were just minor characters; these figures had some role, didn’t they?

Before, he had indeed thought this way when he hadn’t yet awakened his self-awareness in the small world.

But now, within this small world, everything was real. They weren’t just tools or paper figures. They had flesh and blood, their own emotions, and lovers they couldn’t bear to let go of.

He felt a strange pain spreading in his heart.

Gu Xianting—or rather, the head of the fast-wearing system, number 0733, a higher-level human—felt confusion for the first time.

On the way back, Wen Zhao did not speak. She was handling company affairs on her computer. 0733 also remained silent, even though he knew that as Gu Xianting, he should be trying hard to clear his name in front of her. After all, he was just an innocent victim whose identity was taken by a traverser.

“Xianting, what are you thinking about?” Wen Zhao suddenly asked. “Why aren’t you speaking?”

0733 instinctively put on a smile. “I was just thinking how bad that person was. No wonder you, ZhaoZhao, hated and despised him so much.”

“Yes, if he hadn’t run away and returned the body to you…” Wen Zhao paused.

“What would you have done?” 0733 asked.

Wen Zhao smiled. “I would have made him regret it—regret taking my lover’s body, regret everything he did. Xianting, do you think my methods are ruthless?”

“Of course not. You did it for me,” 0733 said quickly. “I understand.”

She sneered internally. For him? This scoundrel who stole Gu Xianting’s identity and now shamelessly pretends to be him, does he deserve it?

When they arrived back, the butler was waiting at the door. Seeing her return, he stepped forward. “BOSS.”

“Yes,” Wen Zhao replied as she approached him and looked up into his eyes. “When I first saw you, I felt like I had seen those eyes somewhere before.”

The butler showed a faint smile. “So, BOSS, do you remember where you’ve seen them before?”

“Not really,” Wen Zhao said as she walked into the house, noticing his slightly damp hair and clothes. “Did you wait outside the whole time?”

“Of course,” he replied. “I’m very responsible, as you know, BOSS.”

“Mm. Now, please take Mr. Gu back to his room,” Wen Zhao instructed.

The butler’s expression darkened slightly, showing some displeasure, but he accepted the task. “Alright, I will complete the task properly.”

0733 was still feeling a bit existential. He rarely saw the awkward interaction between the butler and Wen Zhao without getting angry, or rather, he couldn’t feel angry.

Wen Zhao watched as the butler pushed Gu Xianting away and walked alone into the media room. She poured herself a glass of strong liquor and sat in front of the screen.

“System, come out,” she said calmly.

The screen flickered, and the system made its presence known. It wanted to have a talk with her but was afraid of the previous events and hesitant to approach.

Now that Wen Zhao had summoned it, the system had to put on a pretense of modesty, but couldn’t truly be modest.

“You said before that I didn’t die in my past life. I was saved from the sea. Is that true?” She asked.

[Yes.]

“Who saved me?” she asked again.

The screen was silent as a chicken, showing no reaction.

“Can’t you say? Then I’ll ask another question,” she continued. This question wasn’t something she truly wanted to know, as she had already guessed most of it after learning enough clues.

“What did I do after I came back to life that caused the entire plot to collapse?”

“Think carefully before answering me. I’ll only give you this one chance.”

System: …

The system wanted to cry but knew that she wasn’t lying. This was the last bit of rationality before Wen Zhao completely lost her mind.

[In your past life, after you came back to life, you returned to Li City and killed both the male and female leads with a knife.]

[The death of the protagonists caused the world to collapse.]